Fiesta Online – Review

Fiesta Online, a free to play MMORPG originally released in 2007, is an anime inspired game that is available on the Outspark gaming portal. Previously the game was only available to play after a substantial client download, however, a recent update has given players the opportunity to explore the wonderful Fiesta Online universe, using their internet browser. Originally I was going to review the browser aspect of the game as well as the new player experience, but sadly the beta of the browser version has suffered a few technical glitches and it wouldn't work on my machine.

As with all of our new player experience reviews, the first aspect of Fiesta Online that we'll concentrate on is the character creation. Fiesta Online offers players the opportunity to play 1 of 4 classes, Figher, Cleric, Mage and Archer. Each class does what you would expect it to do based on the name, so typical MMORPG archetypes are in play. The character customization aspects aren't massive, offering only a few different choices of face and hair style. Although there are only 4 classes to begin with, players can unlock the choice to switch to an advanced class at levels 20, 60 and 100, with level 100 offering a choice on a final specialization class. Stats, that you earn through leveling, can be spread across any stats that you choose, adding for a lot more depth and variety in regards to customizing the progression path of your character.

The tutorial is very basic and easy to work through, you're introduced to a number of the games features via some basic quests. It only takes 5-10 minutes and you're fully aware of the movement, battle commands and menu's within the game. There are prompts in the top right corner that continue to display after you've completed the beginning tutorial quests, offering advice related to the situation you're in. Not a defining feature but it's quite valuable at times.

There's tons of activities for both PvE and PvP fans. PvE offers typical MMORPG features such as questing, dungeons, and fighting monsters, but it also has a unique quest system, Kingdom Quests. Kingdom Quests are available every 2 hours and every player from level 5 and upwards can participate. They can be completed solo or with a group of friends, featuring intense boss fights and intricate story-lines, Kingdom Quests are one of the most exciting PvE features that Fiesta Online has to offer.

For the more hardcore players that prefer PvP activities, you unlock a variety of different PvP zones once you reach level 20. Every city in the game has a battle zone associated with it, and within that battle-zone several battlefields are also available. You can attempt to join the PvP as a lone wolf or you can join a guild and turn small skirmishes into large-scale PvP.

Overall, Fiesta Online's appealing graphical style and large array of features make it an easy game to get into, for both veteran players and those new to the MMORPG scene. The game has a very active community, with the majority being friendly and helpful players, willing to offer advice and tips practically all the time. Fiesta Online does a great job of hiding it's age, still feeling like a top quality MMORPG game 5 years after release.

Pros

- Beautiful anime inspired graphics
- Tons of quests and monsters
- Many unique social-based features
- Great area designs